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Dangerous level of over use of cattle antibiotic
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Publication Date : Feb. 21, 2002
Contributor : Food & Drug Reporter Tae Gyun Park
Last Feb. 18, 2002, three empty antibiotic bags were rolling about near the cattle shed. When asked if a disease was spreading a farm employee answered calmly "We are adding antibiotic in feed not because of sickness but to prevent it." He even told us "The farm manager makes the decision of how much antibiotic should be used offhandedly."
Under the purpose of preventing the overuse of antibiotics, the government put into effect the separation of dispensary from medical practice though facing the inconvenience of citizens and opposition of the medical industry. However, in fact animal antibiotics which has no difference in the composition from antibiotics for human, there is no regulation on the limit of animal antibiotic use which threatens the health of the public. Especially, it has been revealed that the use of some animal antibiotic has increased 100% every year during the past several years.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, in the recent 4 years (1996~2000), the sales of major animal antibiotics increased 2 to 4 times.
In the same period the number of cows being raised decreased 44%, number of chicken and pig being decreased 20~30%. This means we are eating meat containing a great deal of antibiotic.
With the overuse of antibiotics, the bacterial in cattle cannot be exterminated with normal antibiotics. In such cases when antibiotics are not effective, we cannot appropriately deal with widespread of bacterial disease. Such concerns are becoming a reality.
Prof. Kim, Du of Dept. of Veterinary Science at Kangnam Univ. introduces "Recently, with germs(staphylococcus) obtained from cattle, was treated with penicillin which is one of the well known antibiotic. The results are 96% of the germs lived."
The National Vererinary Research and Quarantine Service announced that last year, of among the milk from cow with breast cancer, 10% of milk had bacterial(staphylococcus bacterial with resistance against methicillin) which could not be eradicated by normal antibiotics.Also there are continuous reports of cattle dying from penicillin shock in the veterinary science field. This indirectly shows that antibiotics is being overused.
The problem is that the large amount of antibiotic residue in meat, milk, egg, etc., can be passed on to humans. Super bacterial, which cannot be eradicated by antibiotics, can be directly transmitted to humans.
Prof. Song, Jae Hoon of Dept. of contagious internal disease, Samsung Seoul Hospital,
warned that Salmonella resistance had been detected in chicken that had been supplied with quinoline antibiotic added in feed. It has been reported abroad that the person who ate this chicken got sick with food poisoning.
Some domestic farms can purchase unlimited amount of antibiotic without a prescription. Also people are not penalized for using antibiotic freely for disease prevention purpose instead of medical treatment pruposes.
Especially, pharmaceutical companies provide 'cleaning service' when season is changing which is a time cattle can easily get sick. A veterinarian pointed out "We are the only country in the world where such cleaning service is operated openly."
Foreign case & solution:
WTO has recommended not to add antibiotic in animal feed. EU has also limited the usage of antibiotic. Only with a veterinarian's prescription it is possible to use antibiotic. In a recent US Congress report, it was announced that half of the worldwide antibiotics is used for animal antibiotic, and about 80% of the usage is unnecessary. Due to this, the problem of antibiotic resistance is worsening.
According to a member of the Korea Animal Hospital Association, the fundamental reason of animal antibiotic overuse is because it is permitted for farms to give medical treatment to their cattle. He proposed that this system must be abolished and antibiotic must be applied only with a prescription.
Food & Drug Reporter Tae Gyun Park
Source: JoongAng Ilbo Feb. 21
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